Apology
by Safis grin
Summary: The night after Zuko and Katara had their trip, which changed Katara s attitude towards the fire prince, she found herself thinking about their past. Now she has come to realize that it s her turn to face Zuko with an apology.


**Apology**

Katara couldn´t sleep. She was thinking the past that had blurred her thoughts for so long. The betrayal of the Fire Nation prince in Ba Sing Se. She had the picture clear in her mind, of how he had sided with his mad sister and destroyed the trust she had offered just moments before. That had always angered her and she couldn´t find any other reason for the prince to act that way, besides that he had to be evil to his core. That was the outcome of her thoughts and she had stuck with it.

_´Was´_ is the right word to use now, because she realized, he had changed. It took a lot of patience and effort from him to show it to her, but now that he had gained her trust for the second time, the storm inside her had subdued and she was thinking with different mind. And her thought returned for the time in the crystal cave. The dark skinned waterbender sat on her bed while the dim moonlight shone from the window of her room. She had returned today from her "life changing fieldtrip with Zuko". And now she couldn´t stop thinking about him.

Something in her consciousness had troubled her since the early evening and now that she had took a good time to think and remember, she had realized that Zuko was not the only one who had made things that were worth an apology. Now that she knew she was on the bad end of this scale, she found herself restless and unable to fall asleep. With a gentle sigh she rose from her bed and made her way towards the room she knew was in Zuko´s use.

It took a light steps trying to avoid places she suspected to make noises when stepped on. When she finally got to Zuko´s door, she found it slightly open. She whispered into the room.

"Zuko?"

But when there was no answer she peeked in and found the room empty. With raised eyebrow she walked in and looked around to find a clue where the firebender might be. His bed was still untouched and nothing implied he had been in there for a while. Then Katara turned her head slightly to see out through his window and noticed a small light from the kitchen downstairs.

Zuko had just brewed the fourth round of tea for himself. While lifting the slightly too strong and bitter tea to his lips a voice made him couch into his cup splashing the hot drink.

"What are you doing up?" Zuko tuned his head towards the voice while wiping the liquid from his chin and saw Katara leaning against the doorframe. With a small smile he lifted his cup.

"I had a lot in my mind. And uncle once said tea is the best solution when finding answers."

"Oh. Can I join you?" Now that Katara had forgiven Zuko he found her presence very pleasurable. It was still kind of stiff to talk with her, for they had been in good terms only for a day, but he figured it to fade with little time. Even if Katara´s behavior had changed drastically to cheerful and tender when it came to him, now she seemed to be troubled.

"Sure. Although I cannot guarantee the taste is the best you'd ever had."

Katara smiled and took a seat next to him. When she brought the tea to her mouth she seemed to take a moment tasting it, before a light smile broke on her face.

"You were right. It is not the best I´ve had."

Zuko felt a small blush come to his cheeks as he couched and took another sup from his cup. When Zuko didn´t comment Katara seemed to remember her earlier problem and became more serious.

"You said you had a lot to think. Want to tell what was it?"

Zuko had a feeling this wasn´t actually what she wanted to talk about but went along.

"Mostly uncle. First I thought about my family in general, but tea always brings my mind to him, and our last moment together." Zuko gripped his cup little more. Katara glanced at him and nodded.

"It´s hard to think about an apology when you feel your deed is unforgivable." Zuko turned to look at Katara with wonder, because her tone was not accusing. On the contrary it seemed like she was talking about herself rather than him. Katara placed her cup on the table and lifted her eyes to Zuko.

"I have been thinking – a lot. And come to realize it is my turn to face my mistakes." Zuko had turned fully towards Katara not understanding at all, what the girl was talking about. She seemed to take a second to look at her hands that were now on her lap, before looking back at his golden eyes. This time her cheeks were tinted red and she struggled with words. Zuko felt Katara´s embarrassment start to affect him and his own cheeks became warm, but neither looked away.

"I thought about our meeting in.. Ba Sing Se." Zuko´s eyebrows lifted slightly and for some reason his own blush darkened. But Katara didn´t seem to notice.

"And now I remember. I mean I really remember. I know your story and I know you now, but even if I didn´t know then, I did you wrong." Zuko felt he was becoming more confused with each passing second.

"Katara, what on earth are y…" But Katara silenced him by lifting her hand in front of his face. Katara swallowed and continued.

"I remember how you looked when I offered to heal your scar." Her voice started to quiver and became high pitched.

"I remember how you decided to trust me and how… how I.. I gave you hope.. a-and t-then I just w-w-walked away." Zuko couldn´t understand her words anymore so he had to turn his full focus on her moving lips to form the words in his mind. Katara had tears falling freely on her face and she was shaking with sobs.

"I betrayed you." Suddenly Zuko felt his heart squeeze tightly in his chest. He had really felt so betrayed in that moment, but realizing everything he had done wrong in life, he felt he didn´t have the right to complain. So he had buried the stabbing feeling somewhere deep inside, but now it surfaced. He was back in the glowing cave with Katara who had run from him after he had let her touch him with a promise of change.

Zuko felt tears starting to gather to his own eyes, but couldn´t do anything before Katara rose, took some distance from Zuko and lowered herself on the floor before him. She placed her forehead against the floor and bowed with all the shame and regret she felt rich in her voice.

"Please forgive me. I am so sorry." Katara was trembling from her small cries and Zuko couldn´t help the sudden warm, overflowing, feeling he had spreading through him. He slumped in front of her and lifted her up and against him in one swift movement. He´s breath hit against her right ear.

"Thank you, Katara. Thank you."

No one had ever apologized to him like this. It made him shook with happiness and gratitude and for some reason he gained courage when realizing his uncle might feel like this when he would apologize to him. He squeezed Katara to him harder and whispered his ´thank yous´ while Katara lifted her own trembling hands to circle them around Zuko.

After the tears had stopped they still hadn´t moved away from each other. Both just pressed their noses against other´s shoulder and breathed. Then Katara took one long breath and backed away from Zuko. She moved her cool hand on both sides of his face and hold his gaze. Zuko let his eyes roam on her pink cheeks, running nose and glister from her tears wondering whether he looked the same. Then Katara parted her lips.

"For what it´s worth… I think you are beautiful." Then she lifted herself slightly and placed her lips to Zuko´s damaged eye in a soft kiss. When she pulled back again the fire prince had astonished look on his face which turned crimson a second later. Katara wiped her face dry and smiled to her friend.

"Do you still have that tea left? I would surely like some now." Zuko gave out a small laugh before turning back to the table.

"Yeah, although I thought you implied the taste wasn´t really for your liking?"

"I might have changed my mind."


End file.
